Biggles Takes a Hand/plot
Chapter 1: A Sinister Assignation Biggles accepts an anonymous invitation to dine at a restaurant and is surprised to find that the host is von Stalhein in disguise. The purpose of the meeting is so that Biggles can have a good look at three Iron Curtain agents whom von Stalhein says have been using the restaurant regularly: Ludwig Karkoff, Molsk and Rallensky. The three are professional assassins specialising in political murders but they had already been in England for a week. Who is their target? Chapter 2: Dead End? Biggles' inquiries seem to come to a dead end when Air Commodore Raymond tells him there is no foreign visitor in England or due to arrive whose murder would be of political value to the other side of the Iron Curtain. Chapter 3: Von Stalhein Gives a Hint Ginger, Bertie and Algy take it in turn to mount surveillance on the three political assassins. Meanwhile, von Stalhein suggests that their target might be Oberst Hans Roth, an East German underminister for Defence who had been recently purged and who might know too much for his own good. It turns out that Roth had been recently executed but he had a family who might have escaped. If so, they might have contacted Max Lowenhardt, a close family friend who lives in West Berlin. Chapter 4: Lady in Trouble Biggles looks up the Lowenhardts in West Berlin and meets Max's daughter Anna, who is also the fiancee of Moritz Roth, the son of Oberst Roth. Anna is suspicious refuses to say much but at least Biggles leaves her the message that that killers are hunting for the Roths in England. Later, at the airport, Biggles is surprised to see Anna waiting for the same flight to London as he is. But he also sees two men who seem to be shadowing her. In flight, Biggles manages to get the seat next to Anna and wins her confidence by showing her his police pass. He also sends a message to ALgy for help. On arrival, Algy whisks Anna to their apartment at Mount Street. Meanwhile Biggles arranges with customs to slow the two men down. The two shadowers meet up with Karkoff and head off to their hotel, the Cosmolite. This more or less confirms for Biggles that they are after the Roths. Why else would they shadow Anna? Chapter 5: Anna Talks Back at Mount Street, Anna tells Biggles and co. that the Roths had indeed escaped from East Berlin. Moritz is carrying some secret papers which his father had given him, supposedly to protect him, but which now seems to be the reason the killers are after him nd his family. The Roths have come to England where they hoped to seek refuge with a friend of Anna's, one Dr Bruno Jacobs, a retired dentist in Hampstead. Biggles puts Anna up at a hotel. Meanwhile he is concerned that Anna's father Max may follow her to London and worse, go to Hampstead, thus betraying the Roths to Karkoff. So Ginger must hurry to West Berlin to prevent Max from coming. Chapter 6: Disappointing News Next morning, Biggles goes to Hampstead and finds bad news. Jacobs had moved out some 6 months ago. Neither the present occupant of the house, one Mrs Smith, nor the estate agent Mr Carson, have any idea where he went. Worse, both tell Biggles that a family of three fitting the description of the Roths had earlier called on Mrs Smith and Mr Carson looking for Jacobs. Chapter 7: City of Fear Ginger goes to West Berlin but only manages to meet the Lowenhardt housekeeper Gretchen. She is suspicious but Biggles had taken the precaution of asking Anna to lend him a brooch which she was wearing. This helps to convince Gretchen of Ginger's bona fides and she reveals that Max Lowenhardt has also gone to London, to look for Anna. Ginger also spots and letter from England addressed to Max and persuades Gretchen to let him have it, thinking it might be important. On leaving the Lowenhardt house, Ginger is harassed by some Iron Curtain agents but succeeds in evading them by hitching a ride in a British army jeep. However other agents continue to shadow him all the way to London where he finds Molsk and Rallensky waiting in the arrival hall. The foreign agents move in to jostle him, obviously with the intention of taking the letter but fortunately Biggles is also there and intervenes in time. Chapter 8: Algy Meets Trouble Algy, mounting surveillance over the house at Hampstead sees someone he thinks is Max Lowenhardt turn up. He is about to go up to him when two toughs to attack. Max. Algy fights them off but suffers a knife wound as a result. Meanwhile, Max had fled in the midst of the scuffle and Algy doesn't know where he has gone. Back at Mount Street, Biggles persuaedes Anna to open the letter Ginger had brought from Berlin. It is from Dr Jacobs, who writes to tell the Lowenhardts that he has moved to Saxton Old Hall in Sussex. For Biggles this is a piece of good news, besides the place being a safe refuge for Anna. They make ready to drive Anna down to Sussex in the morning. Chapter 9: Anna Disobeys Orders Morning brings distressing news that the house of Mrs Smith had been broken into and the old lady had been knocked unconscious. Then von Stalhein calls to report that a grey Vauxhall with two men appear to be mounting surveillance outside Biggles' Mount Street flat--they must have followed Algy home after the fight the night before. Then to top it all, Anna disobeys orders. Instead of waiting to be fetched, she had walked from the hotel to Mount Street. The two men in the grey Vauxhall, having now spotted her, would certainly follow her. An elaborate anti-surveillance drill has to be executed with Biggles and Algy using two cabs to block the Vauxhall and Bertie laying a false trail to decoy the Vauxhall. Ginger drives Anna to Saxton and they are welcomed by Dr Jacobs. But GInger is suspicious about a man outside the house with a seemingly broken down car. Chapter 10: A Shock for Biggles Biggles goes down to Hampstead where he finds Chief Superintendent Lowe puzzled by the seeming lack of motive behind the housebreaking. Biggles fills him in on the background and they agree to work together. Back at Scotland Yard, Algy has disturbing news: Ginger has called from Saxton Village. The line from Dr Jacobs' house appears to be cut and he has spotted two of Karkoff's men in the area. Chapter 11: Ginger Takes Charge The focus now switches to Ginger. Believing the house to be watched, and finding the telephone line cut, he had sneaked out the backdoor and made his way to the village, where as we know, he made his call to Algy. Returning to Saxton Old Hall, he hears a scream and finds two men attacking a third, stout, man. Ginger rushes in to help and warns off the two attackers, one of which he recognises as the man who followed him from Berlin. The stout man turns out to be Max Lowenhardt. Anna is, of course, delighted to see her father. He had found Dr Jacobs' address through the dentists' professional society and Ginger surmised that Karkoff and his gang appeared to have done the same. Chapter 12: Biggles Plans Action Biggles arrives at Saxton Old Hall with Bertie. Outside, Karkoff also arrives to join his two men. The three policemen hold a council of war and decide that the standoff cannot last indefinitely. Rather than wait for Karkoff to make the next move, Bertie suggests a showdown. If they could at least find weapons or housebreaking tools with the men, they might be able to keep them away for long enough while the Roths are found. Chapter 13: The Show-Down Algy arrives with more news. Chief Superintendent Lowe had found fingerprints at the house of Mrs Smith and had moved in to arrest Molsk and Rallensky at the Cosmolite Hotel. Karkoff had however shot his way out and had made his way to Saxton. Lowe was on his way. With all his entire crew together, Biggles sets out to confront Karkoff and his men. They resist vigorously, wounding Bertie in the ensuing scuffle. Karkoff's two assistants are subdued but he himself breaks free and escapes in his car. Biggles shoots at it and causes the car to swerve into a telegraph pole, killing the driver. Lowe arrives to mop up. The Roths, it turns out, are safe, having gone to a police station for help. The Lowenhardts and the Roths are united and both later emigrate to the United States where, as Biggles was to learn later, Anna married Moritz. Category:Plot summaries